Robert Sergent
Fairley is renowned for his stunning planting schemes. His plant knowledge
is encyclopaedic which is self evident from the gardens he has created. He has a complete affinity with nature and even his voice echoes the beauty and tranquility of the trees,
the shrubs, the flowers and the whole world of nature, he so cherishes.

His earliest memories of his childhood are of playing on huge green lawns, of walking through dappled sunlit gardens,
of the scent of honey suckle and of eating sweet pears; these early
memories further include his growing vegetables in perfect rows,
his planting of marigolds and lupins from seed packets, his making
miniature gardens in old sinks and his endless blocking up of ditches
and streams.

Since his childhood, his perception and affiliation
with nature has enabled him to recreate these vistas on a microcosmic
scale, in the gardens of his clients. These gardens, once completed,
always appear as through they have been established for a long time
and not the new gardens, which realistically, they are.

Unless requested otherwise, he arranges the planting
in each garden to provide all year interest with the minimum of
care and maintenance.

This he achieves by a mixture of architectural
and traditional plants. He takes his clients with him and jointly
they carefully choose his recommended trees, climbers, shrubs and
perennials. His emphasis is always on interesting leaf textures,
leaf colours, scented plants and different season flowerings.

When asked recently to supply a list of his favourite
or preferred plants, his answer was quite simply “how many
stars are in the sky”. He forms a new planting scheme for
each project and selects the plants best suited to his client, the
intended garden and the existing surrounds.

He also stated recently how one of his
greatest advantages has been to have had so many excellent clients,
all of whom he remembers individually and many of whom he still
visits. He has requested that their many kindnesses to himself and
his team be remembered and thanked via these columns; he also looks
forward to welcoming new clients this year to ‘the world of
Belsize Landscapes’.

The Song of the Dog Violet Fairy

The Wren and Robin hop around;
The Primrose-maids my neighbours be;
The sun has warmed the mossy ground;

Where spring has come I too am found:
The cuckoo's call has wakened me!